New Delhi [India], Mar 7 : In the past few years, the festival of colours seems to have lost the fervour with which it was once celebrated. The very mention of Holi invokes the images of flying "gulaal", large communal celebrations and tasty treats, but it is quite undeniable that its vibe is dampening with each successive year.
Who and what is to be blamed, and what are we missing on, one might ask. To figure out the answer as to why Holi is losing its colour, ANI talked to a few youngsters who revealed their experiences and expressed their opinions on this topic.
Parth Sharma, a resident of Mayur Vihar Phase-1, feels that the reduced enthusiasm is mostly the result of rampant hooliganism which has struck fear in the minds of the revellers. Cases of violence and harassment frequently reported around this day deter the people from partaking in the celebrations.
"People these days strongly avoid being smeared with grease, struck with balloons, and specifically in the case of women, being touched inappropriately," said Sharma. The 24-year-old actuarial science student also listed increasing environmental awareness among the current generation as another factor. "The charm has reduced significantly, I haven't celebrated Holi the way I used to since the past two years or so," he added.
Himanshu Hansaria, a software engineer from East Delhi, expressed his nostalgia for the former glory of the festival. "Up until my initial years at college, I along with my buddies played Holi in the most extreme manner one could possibly imagine. We used balloons, threw each other in mud and indulged in all sorts of shenanigans," he said. However, in his opinion, the majority of the youth gets "offended a bit too easily," and this change in attitude can partly be blamed for the withering enthusiasm.
The 26-year-old techie also pointed out that the people belonging to the previous generations, who used to celebrate the festival with all their heart and soul, have now grown older and are preoccupied with their daily responsibilities. "So the ones who still have the time and energy, are utterly disinterested in making the day special," Hansaria further said.
However, another youngster 24-year-old Soham Ray, a P.R. professional from Sarita Vihar, believes that "Holi's charm hasn't gone anywhere". He says, "It is just the manner in which people celebrate it that has undergone a transformation."
"Nowadays we youngsters prefer to keep things to ourselves, as in, we enjoy the day with the ones who are the closest to us, such as close friends and family members," he adds.
Ray, like many his age, is quite content with the way he spends his time on Holi. "I just sit at home with my mom and dad, eat gujias, and later during the day, hang out with the boys. Sweet and simple!"
The scale of the festivity has shrunk without a doubt, but this can be attributed to the youth's aversion towards synthetic colours and wastage of scarce water resources, he adds.
So this year, improvise and adapt to the changing times and celebrate the occasion in your own unique way.